02 Apr 2025

On FOCAL POINT:  

• Steph Travers, Board Director at People With Disabilities Australia, reflecting on the Federal Budget; the Budget in Reply; and thoughts about the upcoming Federal Election.  

• Mia Gardiner, from Crime Stoppers Victoria, with valuable information regarding romance scams.   

• Annette Leishman is going on the 5-day Trek to New Zealand for Vision Australia's Quality Living Program.  Annette extends an invitation to attend her Easter fund-raising concert on 15th April 

• Aida La Verde shared her story of moving from Columbia; being diagnosed with cancer; then a vision loss and outstanding support from Aida's employers 

Resources: 

Australian Electoral Commission 

• Information for People with a Disability: https://www.aec.gov.au/assistance/  
• Postal Voting: https://www.aec.gov.au/election/pva.htm  

PWDA Election Hub: https://pwd.org.au/home/federal-election-hub-2022/  

Crimestoppers Victoria: http://www.crimestoppersvic.com.au  

Annette's Easter Concert: [e-mail]  or go to https://vision-australia.grassrootz.com/abeltasman-2025/annette-leishman 

See Differently: 

Episode Transcript

S1 (00:15):
Good evening and welcome to Focal Point here on Australia Radio.
Also on the Reading Radio Network, 1190 7 a.m. and
Adelaide online at Viva Radio through the TuneIn radio app
for Vision Australia Radio Adelaide your favourite podcast or streaming
service via Radio Digital in Adelaide and Darwin as well.

(00:35):
Peter Greco on behalf of Philadelphia, saying thank you so
much for joining us and a big shout out to
William McDougall listening in this program, coming to you from
Ghana land. Come to you very, very shortly. We'll speak
to Stef Travers from people with Disabilities Australia, having a
chat about the budget and the budget in reply speech.
Then they'll catch up with Mia Gardner from Crimestoppers Victoria

(00:57):
a regular segment. Tonight's topic romance scams. So we'll find
out more about that. We'll then catch up with Annette
Leishman talking about the trek to New Zealand five days,
helping the peer support service that Vision Australia offer, and
then we'll be joined by Ada Loverde, who's got a
great story to tell regarding coming out from Columbia and

(01:19):
getting a guide dog from sea differently, and also wonderful
support from her employers. If listening through 1190 7 a.m.
in Adelaide at 8:00 for your listening pleasure. Lizzie and
Sam are here with Studio One just before we hear
what's on their program. I have two very sad pieces
of news to bring to you. Very sadly, the passing

(01:40):
of Linda Perkins, who went to Townsend School in the
60s and 70s. So you may have known Linda then
or since then. So sad. Sadly, Linda passed away last
week at a rather young age. And also Peter Hetherington,
sadly has left us a wonderful, wonderful cricketer. Excellent to
contribute to, uh, to, uh, Royal Society for the blind,

(02:01):
as it was then both as a staff member and
on the board and in lots of other areas. So
very sad to report the passing of Peter Hetherington will
get someone to have a chat to us on the programme.
More next week. More in depth about Peter's life. Let's
find out what's on studio one tonight.

S2 (02:20):
I chat with Peter Archer, a support worker who started
his own business. This business seeks to provide unique activities
to the blind and low vision community.

S3 (02:29):
So join us at eight for studio one.

S1 (02:33):
Well, the federal budget and the budget in reply have
all happened. Let's chat about it with a board director
from people with Disabilities Australia. Steph Travers. Steph great to
meet you. Thanks for your time.

S4 (02:44):
Lovely to meet you. Peter I'm happy to be here.

S1 (02:46):
What about a few days after the event? So how
are you feeling as your thoughts about the budget? And
the reply indeed changed much in the few days that
you had to digest.

S4 (02:56):
Um, I love budget and election. Federal election time. I
think it's great for anyone that's a political nerd and
also in the disability advocacy space. And I think it's
because it gives us an opportunity for our platform to
be heard and for our priorities to be able to
put forward to the government and for people to have
their voices heard. Um, so it's a unique time for

(03:18):
our community in that respect.

S1 (03:20):
And there's nothing like an election to at least look
like politicians are listening.

S4 (03:24):
Yeah. It's interesting. Um, you know, our community feels this
year that we're a little bit invisible. So I have
to say, we were we were quite disappointed on budget
night in that there was a lot of missed opportunity
for the current government. And the liberals, in their opposition,
reply to speak directly to the 5.5 million Australians that

(03:47):
live with disability.

S1 (03:48):
Interesting, isn't it? Because I heard both speeches, you know,
pretty carefully, listened closely, and there wasn't a lot of
mention of disability or even the NDIS. Really often there's
a bit more Focus or talk about the NDIS, but
it was pretty a lot on the ground.

S4 (04:02):
I think it's really interesting. I think, um, the Prime
Minister mentioned people with a disability once and the opposition
leader mentioned the NDIS once and having a look at
the budget documents. That's pretty much where a footnote in
this budget and also in the election platform, and in

(04:24):
my opinion, we are more than a footnote and we
need to take more of a priority. And the NDIS
itself is only one portion in a bigger ecosystem of
supports that our community requires, and that just isn't being
addressed right now.

S1 (04:38):
Great point. And I mean, we talk about the budget.
I mean, if you're talking about the budget, if you're
talking about finance, a lot of money goes into into
the NDIS. Uh, so therefore it should account for some
attention if you like. And as you say, there are
other issues outside the NDIS or for people who have
a disability but are not on the NDIS.

S4 (04:57):
Yeah, I think that's a great point because I think
for both sides, the NDIS now is such a big
headline figure that it's um, it's political dynamite and it's a,
it's a tricky avenue to navigate and it's all currently
being talked about under the guise of sustainability. Now sustainability

(05:18):
is important. But you know, I think if we put
it down to figures and numbers that 8% growth sustainability figure,
it takes away from the people that that actually represents
and that any percentage cut actually means tens of thousands
of people that will go without supports. And as of
right now, the NDIS only represents 12% of people living

(05:41):
with disability in this country. And so, as I said,
I think both sides just view that big headline figure
as that's it. That's all we're going to spend on
disability anymore. And that's all the community gets. While fails
to take into account all the other needs across all
the aspects of the other portfolios in government, where they
actually have to commit funding to be able to improve

(06:04):
outcomes in our community and to achieve inclusion. And the
disability Royal Commission showed that that was much needed in
many areas across the government and not just support.

S1 (06:15):
It's a great point, isn't it, because there was a
lot of, uh, dare I say, heart and soul, blood,
sweat and tears. Use whatever cliche you want put into
the Royal commission, particularly by those who gave evidence. There
was a, you know, a very, uh, testing time, if
you like. And I mean, if that has all been
for naught. That's a pretty sad reflection.

S5 (06:35):
Yeah. We spent $600.

S4 (06:36):
Million on this royal commission. There's 222 recommendations. And this
government had such a great opportunity to signal to our
community that that mattered. And in this budget, we've had
no money put towards a federal roadmap? No. Money put
towards a federal inclusion minister. Disability minister. No. Money put

(07:00):
towards accessible housing. Accessible education. Reform of disability discrimination. And
all of these could have been, um, at least showed
that we're on track to looking forwards to the future
with those recommendations, but it looks like that report is
just going to be another royal commission that sits on

(07:21):
a shelf. And that's really disappointing for our community.

S1 (07:24):
Well, particularly, as you say, when the amount of money
that was spent was spent. And because of all the hoopla,
if you like, before it was, you know, this was
going to make a difference. This was the most important
opportunity a person with a disability have probably in their lifetime,
in our lifetime. And if it's a dust gatherer, then that.
Well that's shameful.

S5 (07:42):
Um, it's it's even a missed opportunity.

S4 (07:45):
In in what they did provide in this budget as well.
So they provided money towards disaster relief, recovery and and
resources and materials, for example, and domestic family violence, for example.
And those were two areas that the Royal Commission showed
that we were at see risk of injury, of neglect

(08:06):
and of harm, and that lives are at risk. And
we didn't even get any dedicated money towards resources that
they they put towards the wider community. And that's just
two examples. So I don't know, um, what the government's
plan or the opposition's plan is to go from here,
but that's what our community is, is going to champion

(08:30):
in our election platform moving forward this year in that
the Royal Commission is the roadmap and the answers are there.
The findings were stuck that people with a disability have
been neglected and exploited, and the NDIS is not the
sole answer of that. It exists in an ecosystem of supports.
It can't exist in a vacuum in a silo as

(08:51):
a standalone, for example. Like if you have a disability,
a New South Wales NDIS support package. That's great that
you have NDIS supports, but if you have NDIS supports
and you're a child and you still go to school
and get discriminated against, well, the supports aren't achieving what
they're meant to achieve.

S1 (09:09):
A great point. You talked about the growth at 8%.
I think it had been growing at 14%. So the
government almost tends to celebrate the fact that the rate
is slowing down. And you made a great point about
the fact that the amount of people that impacts or
indeed the services they are receiving or both.

S4 (09:26):
Yeah. In real terms, it means people have either been
removed from the scheme or denied access to the scheme.
And they've also put in these in and out lists,
which is very strict do's and don'ts. So people don't
have the flexibility to be able to achieve their goals
and choose supports that suit them anymore. And the government
has actually found $4 billion in extra savings across the

(09:49):
four years as well that have been identified. So they're
cutting quicker and faster than we expected originally. And our
community is on board with sustainability. But, you know, like
any cuts and for example, in comparison to the Doge
cuts in America, this needs to be done with a
scalpel and not a chainsaw, and it has to be

(10:09):
done with a safety net to catch the people that
are having supports denied or removed, and that safety net
is not there. Now, this budget put an extra $364
million for foundational supports, which is welcome for our community,
and we're really glad that we have a number now.
But there's no roadmap of a time frame of when

(10:32):
the states will be on board, and people with disability
have not been engaged in a co-design process of it.
And that's the problem is people have been kicked off,
removed everyday supports denied, and two groups targeted in psychosocial
and children with autism, with no safeguards in place and
no plan. Moving forward, it hasn't even been developed yet.

S1 (10:54):
And that's 360 million is going to have to be
split up amongst a lot of people. I mean, if
you want to sort of, you know, boil it down
to per person, if you like.

S4 (11:01):
If you want to, if you want to put it
into perspective. They've cut 14.4 billion and they're going to
provide 364 million. So that's a $14.1 billion gap of supports.

S1 (11:14):
And of course that's assuming that the states get on board.

S4 (11:17):
That's assuming the states get on board. You know, we've
seen during Covid was an example where we know it's
really hard for the states to achieve consensus. And we
also know there was an education agreement that 15 years,
15 years to for the states to come to a
consensus and people with a disability don't have that time.

(11:37):
And we know that other bits of the community and
the economy suffer when those supports are not in place.
So that's the hospital system, crisis services, even charities like yourself.
Remember the old days where Vision Australia had to provide
basic supports for people with a vision impairment because it
wasn't available, available anywhere else? And are we going back

(12:00):
to that model? I don't know, because that's not sustainable either.

S1 (12:04):
That's very true. Regarding the budget reply speech, I guess
invariably and kind of understandably, it's a bit lighter on
and in a lot of areas. The opposition at this
stage haven't really come up with, uh, too many policies, uh,
clearly defined. Uh, hopefully that'll happen in the next four
and a half weeks. Are you hopeful as well? Because, again,

(12:24):
you know, a bit like on for detail in the
disability area, I mean, or I guess across the board,
but particularly in the disability area.

S4 (12:31):
Yeah. We welcome any more detail from, from from both
sides to be honest. But the liberals do need to,
to flesh out where they stand on just on the
NDIS and disability, especially in light of some comments that
were made a week ago by the opposition spokesperson, Jane Hume,
and their cuts to essential services, public service, um, and

(12:54):
public service staff. And we know that if there are
cuts to public service that impacts our community, because, you know,
these people with the NDIS who are planners and are
on the front lines putting plans together, have a wealth
of knowledge and a and a bank of knowledge that,
if they're removed, is hard to replicate. And it also

(13:16):
can't be done by consultants. So that's disability specific knowledge.
Mental health knowledge, psychosocial knowledge trauma informed care. And that
is an essential service. So we would like a commitment
from both sides that the NDIS in particular is considered
an essential service and that there's no further cuts to it.

S1 (13:36):
So I guess to wrap up for now, with the election,
only four and a half or so weeks away. What
would you say to people listening out there, even if
they have a disability? Have someone in their family know
someone who has a disability? In terms of lobbying or
contacting their local MP or indeed a potential MP, a candidate.

S4 (13:54):
Where such a powerful voting bloc. There are 5.5 million
of us. Million of us. And we're not a special
interest group. So, you know, we want people with a
disability to have their voices heard and empower them. People
with a disability has a community activation toolkit and an
election scorecard that will be released. It's on our website.
We'll put it on our social media. And we urge

(14:16):
you to research your candidates, reach out to them and
demand accessible policy positions, and to take the information in
that toolkit to them to be able to appeal to them,
to say that we are a powerful bloc, we're your
constituents and that we vote. And we also, you know,
ask them to engage in the process and to make

(14:39):
sure that they're able to find accessible polling places and
accessible ways to vote that suits them. And to say
to our politicians that investment in disability is a smart
economic investment, and that our lives matter and our voices matter,
and what is sustainable is not the status quo, as

(15:00):
the Royal Commission showed. So we need change and we
need change now.

S1 (15:04):
Well, you say that there's sort of an economic imperative,
but also kind of a social responsibility, I guess, particularly
on the back of some of the stuff that's happening
at Uncle Sam.

S4 (15:14):
Exactly. Yeah. The NTD agenda, I think, has just been
labelled with this negative connotation. But Dei is not negative.
Inclusion is wonderful. And inclusion. Inclusion has progressed society so far,
and it allows people with a disability to access spaces,
participate in the economy, volunteer civic duties, be able to

(15:34):
have a job. It allows me to be able to
speak here to you. now, I wouldn't be part of
the board if I didn't have the NDIS. Because I
wouldn't have been able to do the travel. So it
it has a powerful impact on our community. So the
moral and ethical imperative is, is bigger than anyone realizes
I think.

S1 (15:51):
Who to talk to you Steph.

S4 (15:52):
It's a great thank you Peter.

S1 (15:54):
That's a Steph. Is there a board director from people
with disabilities? We'll put their information about their website on
our show notes. And if you want more information you
can go there to get it. Well I find it
become me is on the line. But what a tremendous
acquisition Mia has been to the program with some of

(16:15):
the tremendous topics that Mia has chosen. This evening is
no different. Mia Gardner from Crime Stoppers Victoria. Mia. Welcome back.

S6 (16:23):
Hi. Thank you so much for having me again.

S1 (16:25):
Now, often you choose topics that are a little bit sensitive,
which is, you know, sadly, the way it's got to be.
And I think this topic is kind of as sensitive
as ever or as sensitive as any with the romance scams?

S6 (16:37):
Absolutely. It's sort of the nature of what we do.
That we're dealing with crimes and we're dealing with people, unfortunately.
Either losing their money or dealing with something quite emotional.
So when it comes to scams. The romance scam is
certainly the most emotionally. Um, the one that people will
cost the most, most emotionally. As well as financially. Because

(17:00):
some people can really be taken on a ride for
a very long period of time and lose quite a
bit of money.

S1 (17:06):
And I guess we'll get to some of the points
in a second. But I guess along those lines, you know,
people are kind of, uh, more unlikely or less likely
to talk about it because of, um, the fact that,
you know, we don't like being hurt financially and we
don't like being hurt. From a sort of emotional point
of view either.

S6 (17:23):
Absolutely. The thing is, there's so much shame that sort
of surrounds this particular scam. And people tend to feel. Um,
more embarrassed when it comes to falling victim to a
romance scam, then let's say an investment scam. And they
might be more hesitant to share with others that they
have fallen victim to the scam because of that stigma
that sort of, they believe follows this type of scam around. However,

(17:47):
it's so important that we do talk about it and
that those that have had this happen to them share
their experiences so that others maybe avoid falling victim to it.

S1 (17:56):
Yeah, and that's one of the great things about having
you on that. You forewarned us, which is a great
way to be. I mean, can you kind of define
what a romance scam is? What is it in in
simple terms?

S6 (18:05):
Absolutely. So simply put, a romance scam is when someone
deceives another person into believing that they are in a
romantic relationship in order to take their money. They often
will create an illusion of a genuine connection. The scammer
will to the victim. They're going to build trust. They're
going to emotionally manipulate. And then there will be the

(18:26):
final request, often sort of paired with a sob story
or with financial Issues, and they're going to ask for
money because, you know, they'll have built. What you will
believe to be a genuine connection and relationship. And then.
You're going to want to help them because you care
about them. But it's all fraudulent. They're not they might

(18:47):
not even be who they say they are. The scams
typically begin when an unexpected message from a stranger or
even a distant acquaintance. Well, you'll get one of these
messages unsolicited, and then they're going to have a nice
conversation with you every day for weeks, months, even. You
never know. These people have a lot of commitment to
the scam, and they're going to stick around. And until

(19:10):
they get as much money from you and you're going
to be financially devastated as well as emotionally.

S1 (19:15):
That's a great term you use. You know, they've got
great commitment to the scam. I mean, that's kind of
well put in a sense, very, very sadly the case.

S6 (19:22):
Absolutely. The thing is, people think no one would be
talking to me for this long if it wasn't real.
But they really well, they're going to put in a
lot of time, a lot of effort to make sure
they can get as much money from you as as
they possibly can.

S1 (19:34):
They generally and of course, it's a bit dangerous, obviously,
to always generalize, but generally it's kind of, um, sort
of an online, uh, contact that kind of kicks it off.

S6 (19:43):
Absolutely. So some of the common tactics would be that
they obviously are using online platforms. They might have photos
on these platforms, but they'll always have a reason why
they can't FaceTime. They'll always have a reason why they
can't maybe speak on the phone and they'll never be
able to meet their either interstate and can't afford to
make it to you, or they're unwell, or they're too busy.

(20:06):
They'll always have a reason not to meet. Potentially they're
they're sort of tactic is to say they live interstate
and or they need money so they can come and
visit you, but they can't afford it. And then that's
where they'll begin to encourage you to start sending some money,
or they'll have a health issue. And because, you know,
I'm sure that everyone's caring about the people that they

(20:27):
speak to or the ones that they're building emotional connections with.
They'll be they'll be caring and they'll want to help
and give some money for that reason, too.

S1 (20:34):
There's that a bit of a telltale sign when you think, oh, look,
you know, I'm feeling a little bit comfortable. Let's catch
up for a coffee or let's catch up, you know,
somewhere for a, you know, sort of face to face meeting.
And if they're avoiding that or even, as you say,
a chat on the phone, if that's being avoided, then, uh,
red flag.

S6 (20:50):
Absolutely. A red flag. If they avoid meeting in person
or through video calls, um, they will often cite work
as the reason, potentially military service or even financial struggles.
These are all extremely bright red flags, I would say.
And these ones should be should be really taken into
consideration when you start speaking to someone online. If any

(21:13):
of these particular things pop up, maybe get a second
opinion from a friend or a family member.

S1 (21:18):
And putting it maybe sounding a bit unkindly, but kind
of a sob story is kind of the way to
introduce look, I need a bit of money.

S6 (21:25):
Definitely. This is so common where they'll introduce this potentially
or maybe halfway through this sort of relationship or after
they've already established a bit of an emotional connection, because
that's a red flag in and of itself, this early
establishment of a deep emotional connection, using really dramatic and
romantic language quite early on is another red flag. And

(21:49):
as you said, Peter, the sob story or or this.
I know it's a harsh way to put it. You're right.
But that that's sort of what it is. It's a
some sort of fabricated story that makes you feel for
this person, but they're also going to mirror all your
interests and your dreams so that you feel like you
have so much in common. So if they constantly are
agreeing with everything that you say, for example, you say,

(22:11):
I want to live on a farm. I want to,
you know, when I move away from here and go
live in Western Australia, they coincidentally are going to have
all these exact same desires and dreams. So that should
be a red flag too.

S1 (22:23):
Okay. What about as far as you know, I guess
we've got to talk about the topic. Um, you know,
it's not just money thereafter.

S6 (22:31):
No. Sometimes they are going to manipulate their victims into
sharing intimate photos of of yourself, and then they might
blackmail you rather than getting you to willingly give your money.
They might. This is called a sextortion scam, and it's
a common sort of type of romance scam where you'll
have a romantic connection with someone online. They'll pressure you into,

(22:54):
you know, sending intimate images, and then eventually they'll turn
around and they will try and blackmail you, saying that
they'll send it to your boss, to your friends, to
your family, whoever it is in your life that wouldn't
want to see it. They'll say they're going to send
it to them unless you send them money. So this
is another thing. Be really cautious when interacting with people
that you don't know online, and make sure not to

(23:15):
share these intimate photos, financial details, or personal details with
people that you haven't met in person.

S1 (23:20):
I mean, in terms of the finance thing, you just
and I mean, I mean, I know it's easy to say,
but you'd be mad to sort of, uh, send money
off to someone regardless of what story they're painting, because
often it's about their story. Not, you know, I'm working
for this charity, or would you like to help out
this particular organization that might be raising funds for X, Y, Z? Normally,
I'm in trouble. I need help, uh, you know, be

(23:43):
at my health, be it my circumstances, I'm homeless, etc.
it's their personal circumstance that they're pitching at you to
get some money.

S6 (23:51):
Yeah. There are there are some types of scams. One
particular scam, it's got a bit of a graphic name,
but it's called the pig Butchering scam. And this one
is when, you know, it's a very common scam. And
there's a sort of manual that is, you know, in
existence that teaches people how to do this particular scam,
and it's where they'll get you to invest. They create

(24:13):
a romantic relationship with you, and they pretend they're very
wealthy and that they've got a lot of money, and
they show all the things that they buy and all
the money that they're spending. So you think that they're
wealthy and they say, why don't you invest in my company?
Or why don't you invest where I invest my money
so that we can do this together, and then they'll
get you to invest. You can't invest in something that
doesn't exist, so you'll just be sending it directly to

(24:36):
the scammer.

S1 (24:36):
Well, what about in terms of if it gets to
a point where there might be a catch up? You've
got some tips regarding that too, haven't you? When there
might be, you might set a date and a venue
for a catch up?

S6 (24:47):
Yes, absolutely. You've still got to be careful. Even if
it is a real person. You've got to choose public places.
So lively locations, cafes and restaurants are a great place
to meet. But if you do want to meet somewhere
in nature, such as a park, maybe make sure it's
during the day and there's going to be other people around.
You want to share your plans with a trusted friend

(25:08):
or family member, so that they know that you're meeting someone,
who you're meeting, where you're meeting. And if you do
have someone that you trust, maybe share your live location
via phone or in any way that you feel comfortable. Really.
And then my biggest tip, even when I was dating
back in back in my early 20s, when I would

(25:28):
always make sure to control my own transport so I
would arrange my own ride to and from a date.
And this is so that you can maintain control over
when you leave. So if you feel uncomfortable, if you've
had enough and you want to leave and you've not
driven yourself, then it can become a little bit awkward
or a little bit more difficult. So this is not
only for your safety, but just for peace of mind

(25:49):
as well, knowing that you can get out of any
situation whenever you feel like it.

S1 (25:53):
That's a great point, because even if I guess you
know one's intentions are honorable, they might be thinking, well,
I just don't think we're clicking or I want to
get out of here. I just sense that things aren't right.
You've got to kind of well, without again, being a
bit crude. You've got a getaway plan.

S6 (26:08):
Absolutely. And the thing is just you might not be
in danger, but you don't feel comfortable. And sometimes that
gut feeling is so important. You've got to listen to it.
And if something's a little bit off, if Some things
a little bit not right. You don't think this person's
for you and you don't want this situation you're in
to escalate in any way. Maybe they're giving giving you
the impression that they're, you know, not going to take

(26:29):
rejection very well. This is something that can be really frightening.
So you might want to leave and you might want
to do so in a way that doesn't, you know,
raise their alarm bells so that you can tell them
you're not interested once you're away from them and you're
in the safety of your home with your family and friends.

S1 (26:45):
You made a really good point regarding letting a trusted
friend know what's going on. I mean, you don't want
to tell them all your details, but certainly with the
smartphones and the apps that are available these days, you know,
you can almost be tracked in a nice sort of
way by a trusted friend that if they sort of
or if you if you need to let them know, look,
you know, things aren't turning out, they're going to be

(27:06):
able to almost pinpoint where you are, which is, which is,
you know, in this sort of case, a very good thing.

S6 (27:11):
Exactly. And it's just a great way that they see
that you're in one location at the start of the night,
and then you're somewhere else. They might be there. Alert,
asking questions, checking that you're okay. They might be the
person that calls you. If they can see that you're
going somewhere you didn't say you were. And that just,
you know, that could be the thing that you need
to have that sense of security, that comfort. Hopefully no

(27:32):
one needs that, but it can just make you feel
a little bit more comfortable and more willing to, you know,
put yourself out there, go on dates knowing that you've
got that support system.

S1 (27:41):
And people might think, oh, well, you know, I'm 30
past 40 plus 50 plus. I shouldn't discriminate with age.
I'm kind of past that sort of dating time. But
there's no such thing with a scammer, is there? Like,
you know, it doesn't matter what age you are, you're potentially, uh,
someone that can be scammed or someone that wants to
scam you might see you as, uh, as a possibility.

S6 (28:02):
Absolutely. Generally, Australians over 65 are disproportionately, um, represented when
it comes to being victims of scam. And it's, it's
romance scams, all different types of scams, because this could
be people that are, you know, have divorced or separated
or lost their partners and are looking for that new

(28:23):
connection later in life. Maybe they're not as savvy technologically
and they're not as, you know, adept at recognizing the
signs of scams. So they might be the ones that
are falling victim to it rather than the, you know,
20 to 30 year olds. They're probably more at risk
when it comes to unsafe dating and meeting up, you know,

(28:44):
in person. These are the tips that I would say
they should really, really focus on and listen to. But
I think this information is so universal, whether or not
it's it's for you specifically. Everybody knows somebody that will
benefit from learning about romance scams. Learning about safe dating
practices because these experiences are just so universal.

S1 (29:06):
What about that part of it? Amir, if you sense
or you know, someone that's kind of, uh, that you
sense might be, uh, being scammed in this romance scam
sort of way. How can you kind of help out?
Or how can you kind of respond? Or what can
you do in that situation?

S6 (29:20):
That's, you know, such a good point because as you said,
these are difficult topics. So as you can imagine, it
would be very difficult to bring this up with someone
that you care about. So I would say you've got
to approach the conversation with empathy, patience, and do not
go in with, you know, a confrontational mindset. You want
to make sure you're calm. You're using non-judgmental language because

(29:44):
this person believes that they are in a relationship with someone.
If you're to come in and say, you know, I
don't think they're real. This is so weird. What they
said here doesn't make sense. It's weird. Then you're going
to make them feel embarrassed and then defensive, and they're
not really going to open up to you or be
receptive to what you're saying. So you can express concern,
but in a caring way. For example, a great line

(30:07):
you can use is, hey, I've noticed how happy this
relationship makes you, but I'm a little worried about something
I read recently about online scams. Can we talk about it?
You know, this is sort of open and non-judgmental. You
could share general information about scams rather than directly accusing
their partner. You could offer to look into things together
for peace of mind, rather than insisting that they're being scammed,

(30:29):
so that hopefully they can come to that conclusion sort
of on their own. And then if they are defensive,
you can reassure them that scams can happen to anyone,
even the smartest people. And then if they do refuse
to listen after all this, don't force the conversation. Just
leave the door open to future discussions.

S1 (30:46):
That's right. Because when they go away and think about
it and they say, oh, actually the stuff with me
was saying, it kind of does make sense. Maybe I can,
you know, sort of take two on this or think
about it a bit more before going any further.

S6 (30:56):
Absolutely. And then if you've closed that door then, then
they won't feel comfortable coming back to you when they.

S4 (31:02):
Come.

S6 (31:03):
To that own that realization on their own.

S1 (31:05):
Yeah, you are amazing. You cover some incredible topics and
you really give us all some different ways of looking
at it, which is one of the great things we
like about you. Having having you on. Now, if people
want to find out more, I guess if, uh, either
about this or perhaps if they'd like to, uh, perhaps, uh,
you know, uh, I was going to say dob in. Yeah,
maybe dob in someone who might be doing this sort
of thing. Uh, how can we, uh, find out more information?

S6 (31:28):
Well, you can go to the Crimestoppers Victoria website, where
we have all of this information, plus so much more.
And that's at Crime Stoppers. Vic. And if you do
have any of this information, any about suspicious activity or
a crime, you can report that to Crime Stoppers anonymously.
And you can do that on the website or by
calling one 800 333. 000.

S1 (31:51):
Mia, look forward to next month. I don't know what
you're going to come up with, but I know it's
going to be good.

S6 (31:55):
I look forward to it, too. Thank you.

S1 (31:57):
That's the Mayor Gardner there from Crime Stoppers. Victoria, all
those details up with our show notes.

S7 (32:04):
You're listening to Focal Point on Vision Australia radio.

S1 (32:07):
On VA radio.

S7 (32:08):
Digital and online at npr.org.

S1 (32:11):
Hope you're enjoying the program. We always enjoy hearing from
Annette Leishman, who seems to always be doing some pretty
cool things and some very interesting things. And what is
coming up is certainly no exception. And that great to
catch up with. Again, thank you so much for your time.

S8 (32:26):
Thank you Peter. Great to be on again.

S1 (32:28):
Five day.

S8 (32:29):
Track. Yes. So it's in New Zealand. So in the
far north of the South Island of New Zealand. We're
going to be trekking through the Abel Tasman National Park
and having a wonderful time there. Um, quite a few
of the other trekkers have got low vision and yeah,

(32:50):
it's going to be great time, but it's, um, not
just about the trek, it's about raising money for Vision Australia.
They're quality living groups.

S1 (32:59):
Okay, we'll come to that in a second. What made
you decide to do this? Because these have happened before,
haven't they? Have you considered them before? And this time
you've said yes. Or how did that all play out?

S8 (33:09):
Oh, well, I hadn't, uh, ever done a trick like
this before. Well, actually, I have never done a trick
as such before, but I got a member of Vision Australia,
so I got one of their emails and I had
a look and I thought, I really love to do that.
And I'm so glad I signed up for it because
it's something different and it will help not just the

(33:31):
people who are actually doing the trick to, uh, have
a lovely time and get to meet some other people
that are in the same position as themselves, but also
to help other people.

S1 (33:42):
Yeah, we've spoken to a few times, and you are
a very active person and you like the outdoors, so
you're going to be in your element, isn't it?

S8 (33:50):
Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Yes.

S1 (33:54):
Tell us about what you know about it. I'm thinking
that there's probably a few things that you don't know,
or that you're going to find out as you go.

S8 (34:00):
Uh, well, there's going to be a lot of different landscapes. Um,
we'll be, are walking through lush beech forest and rata forests,
and we'll be going through beaches on some days. There
may be an opportunity to do some canoeing to get
one from one location to the next. If we feel

(34:22):
that we have done enough walking and there'll be, uh,
will be picked up each day from the last point
of the location and then taken to our accommodation. So
it's not not going to be really hard. Nice. We're
going to have nice accommodation, but the days will be
quite an effort because we'll be walking 53km over the

(34:46):
five days.

S1 (34:47):
Yeah. Now, um, for those that might have missed our
chats in the past about your vision impairment, how much
sight have you got? Have you got enough sight to
kind of take in some of the, you know, sights
that you'll be going through?

S8 (34:58):
Yes, I have, I've got retinitis pigmentosa. So my vision
is like looking through a pinhole. I've got about 6%
of my vision left. Unfortunately, my visual acuity, which is
the bit that's left in the middle, is starting to
be compromised at the moment. And so I'm starting to
lose my colors a bit. But it's degenerative. And for

(35:22):
me it's been quite slow. So I'll be still be
able to take in some of the sights. It just
takes a lot of concentration, move my head around a lot,
that kind of thing. But it will be great. It's
just the fact about being there and being able to
do some of these things that we've often been told
that we can't do or we shouldn't do, because it

(35:44):
would be too difficult for us. So it's yeah, all
of those great message.

S1 (35:50):
Now, I know from our chats in the past you've
got very good hearing or you've got very good listening skills,
so I'm sure they'll be coming to the fore.

S8 (35:57):
Oh yes. Yes, I'm hoping to hear some birds that
I've never heard before. So all that will be really good.
I should actually read up on the birds of New
Zealand in that particular area, because there may be some species. Well,
there will be species that I've never heard of before,
so it'd be good to know about those, I'm sure.

S1 (36:18):
And when I say doing it on your own, as
in are you doing it? Are you the only one
doing it? That kind of, you know. Or are you
doing it with a group of other people? How does
that all work?

S8 (36:28):
I am actually the only, I don't know any of
the other people that are doing it. I've heard of
one other person, but the rest of them I don't know.
That's another thing that I'm really looking forward to. Yeah,
always enjoy meeting more people who have, um, similar or,
you know, vision impairments. I really enjoy that because it, uh,

(36:50):
it's a, you know, you grow from that. And a
lot of the friendships I will make on this trip,
I'm hoping that we will be able to continue those friendships,
even though we're not all in the same area we've got.
We're coming from different parts of Victoria, but, um, we'll
all meet together on the 29th of April at Nelson,

(37:12):
where we will start the trek, and that that is
when I will meet all of the other people for
the first time.

S1 (37:18):
Fantastic. What about as far as preparation for it? Have
you been told, or have you had any sort of, uh,
quote unquote professional advice as to how to prepare? Or
are you just doing what you think you might need,
or have you approached that?

S8 (37:31):
Well, we've just been advised to just keep active and
do as much as we can every day as part
of our training regime. So I've been trying to walk
at least eight kilometres a day.

S1 (37:43):
Um.

S8 (37:44):
And just around the area where I live, and there's
a three park walk that I do once a week
in the Glenora area. They have a lot of parks
in the area where I live, and I've also joined
the Achilles Walking Running Club, which is specifically for people
who are blind or visually impaired. So I do my

(38:05):
weekly run around the town in Melbourne, which I'm really enjoying,
and meeting lots of other people through that. But my, um,
greatest achievement was to, uh, walk, uh, to the top
of Mount Wellington in Hobart. So every year on the
last week of November. Last Sunday of November, there is

(38:27):
a walk up to the top of Mount Wellington, and
some people run. It's supposed to be the world's toughest
half marathon, so it's 21.5km to the top. But, uh,
that's only for people who are running. It's a marathon.
But I actually walked it, and I was absolutely, uh, very,
very pleased with that achievement. This might be my greatest achievement.

(38:50):
So after doing that, I've stepped up my training every day.
So Just to be really fit for this, this trip.

S1 (38:58):
I have to do it. After doing that, this New
Zealand thing is going to be just a snack.

S8 (39:01):
Yeah.

S1 (39:02):
Yeah. Actually, I don't talk about myself in it, but
I've also been to the top of Mount Wellington. I
went in a bus.

S8 (39:09):
Oh, good on you.

S1 (39:10):
And we actually, we did actually get out and sort of, uh,
climb to the top of that particular peak. But, uh,
you know, we went, uh, mainly by bus, but certainly, uh, yeah,
it was we went in the middle of summer. It
was still quite cold. And so I wouldn't say snow,
but a little bit of, uh, kind of, uh, sleet
that was coming down, so. Yeah. Yeah.

S8 (39:30):
Oh, fantastic. I'm really happy to hear that. I will
be going that way every other time from now on
that I go to mount up to the top of
Mount Wellington. I will be going in a bus. Someone
will be driving me in a car.

S1 (39:44):
So actually, I do remember on a serious note that, uh,
when the way down there was, uh, well, I guess
pretty treacherous. And so the weather conditions weren't great. And,
you know, the bus driver was, Well, I think it
was quite pleased that he got us all down quite
safely because, uh, it's got a bit of a reputation. Anyway,
enough about that. Now, you said it's for a great cause, this, uh,

(40:04):
five day trek of New Zealand. Tell us a bit
about that.

S8 (40:06):
So we're raising money for, uh, quality living groups that
are run by Vision Australia. So, as we know, Vision
Australia is a not for profit organisation. So we need
to raise money to keep the programs afloat. Uh, so
each participant on the trek has a goal, a fundraising
goal of $3,500. I'm almost there. Some people have raised

(40:30):
well over that amount by having different shows and concerts
and things like that to raise the money that I've
raised so far. I've got about $100 to go, but
I've had, uh, four online trivias and uh, I've had, um,
I've advertised it on social media and I've done a

(40:51):
lot of emails and text messages and got some lovely
donations that way. But my, um, last fundraising event, which
is coming up on the 15th of April, I'm going
to host my own Easter variety show, um, for Trek provision.
So if, uh, there anyone? Yeah. Is anyone listening that

(41:12):
knows me and knows the area? You're quite welcome to come.
It's on. I'm doing a bit of advertising now at
10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the 15th of April, and, oh,
I'm sorry.

S1 (41:25):
That's a Tuesday.

S8 (41:26):
Yes, yes. And so, um, people would like to come.
It's just a $10 donation to support Vision Australia quality
living groups. But if you want to donate more, that
will be fantastic. And so I've got a couple of
great acts. I've got two people. Am I allowed to
mention names? I'm sure I won't, but Janine. Sardou.

S1 (41:48):
Hi, Janine.

S8 (41:50):
Janine is going to be playing. What a trooper. Sorry.

S1 (41:53):
What did she say? Absolute trooper. Janine.

S8 (41:55):
She and I met Janine in 2018 at the Quality
Living Group. Okay. That absolutely changed my life. I moved
over from Tasmania, right? That was the first thing I
did was join the Quality Living Group. And, uh, Janine
was doing peer support there, and we've been friends ever since.
And she's going to play piano and sing at my

(42:19):
variety show. And the other person is Alan Bartlett. I
don't know if anyone know Alan, but he's a fantastic
musician as well, and he's going to be playing guitar
and he's going to be singing Drive By the Cars,
and we're going to have a general knowledge trivia. And, uh,
I've got a very small harp, so I'm going to

(42:39):
share it around in a section that I've called. Everyone
can be a musician and we've plenty of Easter eggs.
I'm going to be buying a couple of thousand Easter eggs.

S1 (42:49):
I did that just before Easter. Of course. Yeah. Yeah. So, uh,
it's it's, uh, online or it's, uh, at a physical place.

S8 (42:57):
Oh, no, actually, at Vision Australia. Okay. Too young. Yeah. Um,
so if anyone would like to come, maybe I could
share my email address somehow or other, because we'll need
to know. Uh, I've hired a room there in Australia,
so we will need to know how many chairs to
set up and all that sort of thing. But it
would be great if we could get some more people there.

S1 (43:20):
Yeah. Do you want to give that email address on
air or we just put it up?

S8 (43:23):
Yes, that'd be great.

S1 (43:24):
Yeah. Go. Yeah.

S8 (43:25):
Nettie [e-mail].

S1 (43:32):
Alright, we'll also put that up with our show notes
in it. So, uh, if people have missed it, they
can check it out there and always give us a
call if they missed it and that. Good luck. It
sounds fantastic. And we had a quick chat before coming
to air, and I said it'd be good to catch
up with you, uh, after the event as well, so probably,
I guess the middle of may give you a chance
to catch your breath and get your land lease back,

(43:52):
as it were. We'd love to catch up and you
can tell us how it all goes.

S8 (43:55):
I would love to do that. Peter, thank you so much.

S1 (43:58):
And you're doing it for a great cause. I mean,
that quality of living and that, I guess, encouraging independence
and sharing. Um, yeah. Lived experience is so important. So
good luck and we wish you well. Thanks for speaking
to us. Always great to speak to you and that
you light up our well, our evening is is at
this occasion.

S8 (44:14):
Great. Thank you. Peter, I enjoy talking to you too.
Thank you so much.

S1 (44:17):
Yeah, that's at least one. That will be fantastic. Well,
both the concert on April the 15th and then the, uh,
the five day trek, a little bit different, but certainly very,
very important as well. Any details? Either go to our
show notes or get in touch with me at the
radio station. I often say each person has a story
to tell, and certainly our next guest is such a person.

(44:39):
Eric Loverde is on the line and lovely to meet
you and thank you so much for your time.

S9 (44:44):
Hello, Peter, how are you?

S1 (44:45):
I'm going very well. And hopefully you're going very well too. Um, now,
you came out to Australia from Colombia?

S9 (44:52):
Yes, I came here 13 years ago.

S1 (44:55):
And you didn't have a vision impairment at that stage?

S9 (44:58):
No, no, no. I was with a full vision and just.
Just started to lose my vision five years ago.

S1 (45:07):
And how did that happen? Or why did that happen?

S9 (45:09):
I started noticing when I was driving that I have
a few issues at night, but nothing like. Are you
starting to think that it's related with the age? I'm
no older, but yes, you say maybe the age. I
went to the optometrist to check and know for a
guarantee of my glasses, and they found out in that

(45:32):
moment that something was happening in my eyes. So everything
started with that. I think it was 2020 when this
started and they don't know what is the real origin
of this disease. It's too different. It's progressive. And losing

(45:53):
my vision. It's like a non-stop until I'm not able
to see computers or reading in my phone.

S1 (46:01):
So, um, you had to stop driving then?

S9 (46:03):
Yes. Three years ago, they cancelled my driver's license. And
that was really, really hard for me. I was enjoying
driving here. Completely different to drive in Colombia also. Oh
my God. Completely different. Yeah. You respect everything in Colombia? No,

(46:24):
I have to say, sad to say that, but yes,
I was enjoying the time that I'm here. Everyone was
so nice. So kind. Yes.

S1 (46:33):
What was that like then, being or having that diagnosis
and kind of, uh, uh, I guess you came to
Australia for a better life, and then you get a
diagnosis like this, that that must be a tough thing
to deal with.

S9 (46:44):
Yes, yes. And I come here with my two kids
and trying to find a secure, nice place to live
with them. So when I started to lose my vision,
they already moved to Sydney at that time. Oh, I
didn't expect this. Uh, this this was, um, they started

(47:06):
to say that, uh, this is nothing like I'm not
losing my vision. Don't worry. Is is. It's just something
that we can manage with injections and we try with injections.
And after trying with different treatments. And no one of
those treatments works. So it's hard when you are not

(47:30):
having family here. You don't know what is the future
of your job. You know, I have to work.

S1 (47:37):
So lots of lots of, um, lots of, uh, things
that you have to think about, like you say, but
you've been able to keep working successfully and productively, haven't you?

S9 (47:46):
Yes, from Colombia and when we are a little bit stubborn.
So I decided that I have to learn how to
manage the computers and keep doing my job. So I
have the support from city family. They started to help

(48:06):
me with the employment services and job access to find
what is the tools that I need at that time
to keep in in my in my job. But in
that job that I was there, I was working for
12 years and but my boss at that time, he

(48:27):
was no like it was difficult for him to manage
someone that is losing vision. So for him he was
a requesting the same a Kind of thought that I
was doing when I was with my full vision. So
for me, it was a little bit under stress. Work
with him, of course, and I started having anxiety and

(48:53):
so many problems with my health related with the stress.
So I resigned. And the other broker that was in
that company, he decided to to offer me an employment.
He said that I yes, he said that no. All
my job is related with my eyes. He say that

(49:15):
my memory is really good. So he need that in
his company. So yes, I'm working with him. I completed
this month. One year with him.

S1 (49:25):
Fantastic. Now, that's one of the very impressive things about
the fact that he's given you the opportunity and obviously
said nice things about how valuable you are. They've also
helped you with your RSP guide dog or the sea?
Definitely guide dog. Is that right?

S9 (49:39):
Yeah, they he has been really nice trying to support
me with everything that I was needed in since I
started to lose my vision. He was really kind and
always trying to find what else we can do to
find a support. So certainly was a helping me to

(50:03):
to put me in the list of the guide dogs.
I was really like with no hopes to receive a
dog so quick. But lucky me, in less than three
months after I put my name in the on the list,
I received a one day surname. So I have been
with Wanda since 2020 4th December. Yeah, like one year,

(50:29):
a little bit more. And it's completely a change of life.
Like she is really like an angel with four. Yeah.

S1 (50:41):
An angel with wings and four legs.

S9 (50:44):
Exactly that. Four legs. Yeah.

S1 (50:47):
That is beautiful. What sort of difference has the dog
God dog made? Give us some examples of what it
means to you and your daily life.

S9 (50:56):
For me, yes. To cross the street with just the
cane for me was really difficult. I tried to do it,
but I was so scared to to fall. I fall
so many times before.

S1 (51:09):
Okay.

S9 (51:10):
So for me, it was a really scary time. So
I stopped doing that and I started using a taxi.
So you were. So my salary went through.

S1 (51:24):
Yeah.

S9 (51:25):
To the Uber service. So it was. I was working
for them, not for me.

S1 (51:32):
You got a wicked sense of humor. So that's obviously,
you know, helped. And it must be great. It must
say something about you as a person, either for your
employer and your fellow employees to kind of, uh, be
rallying around you to support you with something like this
going on that, that, that says something or that says
a lot about you as an individual.

S9 (51:50):
He's really, really a caring person. He's now looking to
obtain funds for people like me that they are not
able to have the support from NDIS. So he's doing
everything crazy things like going to Melbourne to run 20km
just to inspire people to give money for that purpose.

(52:14):
So he is really, really, really kind and we are
trying now to another competition that is in May I
will try. I'm not promised, but I will try to
be in that competition here in Adelaide that they call
True Grit.

S1 (52:29):
Oh, you're for that.

S7 (52:30):
Yeah. That's a big thing.

S1 (52:32):
You know.

S7 (52:33):
What are you in for?

S9 (52:35):
I'm not sure yet. I'm still in that point on the, um.
But yes, that kind of things that he is doing
to support me and support people like me is, um,
that kind of a person that is working for other people?

S1 (52:53):
Well, I mean, I mean, this is the most respectful
way you must be worth it, because for him to
be impressed by your skills and your, I guess, determination
and your flexibility, your ability to kind of be nimble,
that that that has obviously made an impression on your
employer to to have this sort of mindset about helping
others as well. Ada, as I said, everyone's got a

(53:14):
story to tell. Am I right in saying that you've
also had a cancer diagnosis?

S9 (53:19):
Yes. This I think the the the mission is related
with the cancer in 2018. Uh, I was, uh, receiving
the news that I bought got a thyroid cancer four
years before my mom passed away for the same cancer. So.

S7 (53:36):
Oh, wow.

S9 (53:37):
Yes. I was a little bit, um, a scary time.
I'm still in that, like, under control. No, no. Not yet.
Free for for the following appointment. Like, they don't. They
want to be sure that everything is okay.

S7 (53:57):
Of course.

S9 (53:58):
Was that is the is the worst. I'm not in remission.

S1 (54:02):
They're in remission. That's fantastic. So actually the cancer diagnosis
was first and then the situation with the site cropped up.

S9 (54:09):
Yes. They they run the radiation with that cancer. So
I think it can be, you know, something is fixed,
but after something is going that is the, the, the
result of the treatments. I think so, but I'm not
in a medical Our area. So I just pretended to

(54:31):
say that maybe was the reason for losing my vision.

S1 (54:35):
We all know our own bodies best, or we certainly
all know our own bodies very well. And in your
in your intuition may well be right on the right
on the money, as we like to say here in Australia.

S9 (54:45):
Yeah, I think that, yes, I always say that something
was at that point killing my eyes. But anyway, it's
another way to start living the life. You know, this
is a complete change.

S1 (55:00):
Just the few minutes we've had with you. As I said,
you've got a a sense of humor that must be very,
very important as well as the skills that you have
and your good memory. All those sort of things are
a sense of humor is pretty important.

S9 (55:11):
Either you have to to be a like a positive.
And I always say I prefer bowling me myself that
people are doing. So I started bowling with me.

S1 (55:24):
Tenpin bowling.

S9 (55:25):
We were eyeballing, trying to find a jokes about me
all the time.

S7 (55:31):
Okay. Yep.

S4 (55:32):
Yes.

S1 (55:33):
Well, you, uh, it's probably a good attitude. And maybe
it's better than sitting in the corner and feeling sorry
for yourself.

S9 (55:40):
I know, yes, that is the opposite. I don't want
that from me or from people. I'm knowing that I.
I prefer the side where I'm laughing about this.

S1 (55:51):
Well, you made me smile. If that means anything to you,
you've made me smile. Despite the the tough things that
you've been through. So, um, a sense of humor and
also resilience as well. Which obviously is something that, uh,
you know, it has to come from within.

S9 (56:06):
Yeah. That is a part of the Colombian style. I
can laugh about everything, but it's moments where you have
to cry and that moments are in my life too, so.

S1 (56:18):
Well, that's a very good point. It's all about balance.
And there's nothing wrong with, uh, having a cry. It
can obviously be very, very therapeutic. Therapeutic and healthy as well.

S9 (56:27):
Yes, yes. I try not to do it often, but yes,
I have to be.

S1 (56:32):
Well. Yeah. I think it's, uh, more than reasonable for
you to do that. Have you been back to Colombia
since you came out?

S9 (56:39):
Yes, I went, and last time was four years, three
years ago. And I was already with low vision. So
I found out that live in Colombia will be really
difficult with no vision. I'm so grateful to be here. Yes,
the streets are not prepared. And I'm from Bogota. So

(57:02):
Bogota is the capital of Colombia and it's not prepared
for disability like mine. So really difficult. Really difficult. And
my family, they they were in that state where they
have to learn how to work with me. And it's
not easy for them.

S1 (57:20):
Like, yeah, of course.

S9 (57:22):
They have to Helpful to learn.

S1 (57:24):
It's a very good message that you give us that
we should be grateful for what we've got. I mean, yes,
things aren't perfect in Australia and certainly there are people
that are doing it pretty hard. Yes, maybe we can
sometimes spare a thought for, you know, that that we're
living here rather than somewhere else.

S9 (57:38):
Yes. Life is is really nice with me. So Brittany
here was really, really good.

S1 (57:45):
I, I really enjoyed speaking to you. Thank you for
giving me that privilege to do so. And I look
forward to hearing our May and true grit goes, but
I won't hold you to it.

S9 (57:54):
Thank you very much. And I will keep you informed.

S1 (58:00):
You keep me informed regardless of what happens, good or bad.

S9 (58:03):
Exactly. If I, if I if I'm a competitor.

S1 (58:07):
You can thank you again for speaking to.

S9 (58:09):
Thank you very much. Bye bye.

S1 (58:11):
Let's see what a great attitude. And, uh, certainly, uh, well,
giving us a bit of a different perspective on life
with the vision impairment and also cancer diagnosis and having
a great supportive employer and, uh, colleagues and certainly the
great work that we have done as well. How would
you describe show of the week? It's coming up this

(58:33):
Sunday evening, 640 on the Viceland channel. Part of the
SBS Network Engineering tomorrow. Now this looks at the new
era of aviation where engineers are trying to get sustainable
flying as far as aeroplanes go. But their challenge is
the weight of the heavy batteries. So that's, uh, engineering tomorrow.

(58:57):
640 this Sunday evening, SBS Viceland with audio description. Rated PG.
A couple of birthdays before we go. Nicholas Day having
a birthday. Good on you, Nicola. Done some great work
with the National Women's Branch and many other areas, including
pastoral care. So happy birthday to you, Nicola. And also

(59:17):
Jonathan Moses having a birthday. Being involved with technology, I
think probably before he was born, almost certainly been involved
with technology for a long, long time. All the big companies,
all the big software development Jonathan has kind of had
a hand in. So, Jonathan, a happy birthday to you.
Keep up your good work. Thank you for all you've
done in the future, and thank you for all you've

(59:38):
done in the past and what you might do in
the future as well. That's it for the program. Sam Rickard,
thanks so much for your help. Pam Green, thanks so
much for yours. On behalf of Philip Napier. And a
big cheerio to Wendy McDougall. Listening in, this is Peter
Greco saying all being well. Focal point back at the
same time next week. Be kind to yourselves. Be thoughtful

(01:00:00):
and look out for others. This is focal point on
Australia Radio and the Reading Radio Network.